Be A Man
by Lucius McLean
Summary: A new twist to Dave's childhood, **COMPLETE** Gosh, I'm proud, I actually finished a story!!


This is a story I have been writing on for a looooong time, it was almost finished when my computer went !%"&%# on me, so I had to write it over again!! Well here it is, lots of Dave angst! Don't worry my dear! I'll never let you down Dave.  
  
You know, after emptying his locker he went to Norway, knocked on my door, and asked if he could stay here until he found a new job!!!. OF COURSE SWEETHEART!! **I WISH**  
  
*Tears streaming down* I wish. But no they're still not mine! They belong to WB and NBC and those guys and women!  
  
Now over to the story!  
  
  
  
***Family Ties***  
  
Dave sat down by the Admin. Desk, he didn't think he could walk a single step more. He had been working for 35 hours now, and he was tired as hell. It felt good though, since he had taken Jing-Mei's shift when she was feeling sick. He just crossed his fingers that it wouldn't come a trauma in the next hour, just as he had though that thought the calling started beeping.  
  
Haleh walked over and answered.  
  
"County ER"  
  
"We're bringing in possible MI ETA 4 minutes, over"  
  
"Ok, over"  
  
Kerry who had stood and listened nodded as to herself.  
  
"Dave, we're taking this"  
  
"Chief! I'm almost dead"  
  
"Good thing you are in a hospital." She only replied.  
  
Dave stood up a dragged himself to the ambulance entrance. The snow was blowing around and it was the coldest day this year. The landscape changed the colours from grey to white quickly and the normally so dusty town, was for a few hours white, before the cars had made the snow matching the rest of the town again, grey. They heard the ambulance coming closer.  
  
"Just as you know, Malucci, I have noticed how good you have done your job this shift. I'm impressed. You can have a short sleep after this one."  
  
"Thanks chief" He smiled. The ambulance stopped in front of them and Dave opened the doors. And looked at the patient, he felt his heart jump a little. They rolled out the gurney.  
  
"Male 52, unconscious heart attack in a dinner party"  
  
Dave looked at the man in front of him. Everything was as he remembered.  
  
They rolled him inside. Suddenly Dave felt a little dizzy.  
  
"Chief, I can't take this one"  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
"I just can't" Before Kerry got the chance to say much more Dave ran into the bathroom. Inside he sat down on the toilette and leant his head in his hands. He had never thought he would see that man again. Ever.  
  
After stabilising the man they sent him up to cardiology. Kerry looked after the gurney, and wondered what Dave had to do with this Ronald Hobson. It was probably just something like Dave's fear for clowns  
  
Randi popped her gum loudly before looking at the woman in front of her.  
  
The woman wore expensive fur coat, golden earrings and had beautiful make- up. She was clearly a very rich person.  
  
"Hello, my husband came in here a little while ago, heart attack"  
  
"Yeah, just wait a second. Dr. Weaver!!" She yelled. Kerry walked over to the admin desk.  
  
"What is it Randi?"  
  
"This is the hear attack guy's wife"  
  
"Oh, thanks" Kerry walked around the admin and over to the woman.  
  
"Hi, I'm Kerry Weaver."  
  
"Rosa Malucci Hobson. So how is my husband?" Kerry looked at the woman, Malucci? Was she related to Dave? Nah, this woman was rich, and that was something Dave clearly wasn't.  
  
"He is up in the ICU now, we quickly got the heart attack under control. Let me show you up to him. It wasn't anything to serious, and he can be signed out tomorrow."  
  
Dave looked at Kerry and the woman through the exam room window. She hadn't changed much. She was still the same. Still his mother. He felt nauseous, why did they have to come here? He knew they didn't know where he was, but he wanted to keep it that way. Carter came into the room, wanting to take a little nap.  
  
"Hey Dave, what are you doing here?"  
  
"I'm just hiding from Weaver." He lied  
  
"She went up to the ICU with a patient, so it's safe for you to go out"  
  
"Ok, Thanks Carter" He walked out of the room and over to the admin. Desk.  
  
"Where have you been?" Randi asked.  
  
"Around, why?"  
  
"Weaver is on the warpath, she said something about yelling your ears off, for just running away from the trauma."  
  
"Thanks for telling me" He randomly grabbed a chart and walked away. He looked down at what he had taken. Man! Explosive diarea, this was clearly not his day. He walked towards the exam room where the patient was.  
  
"Hi, I'm dr. Malucci" He said without looking up, when he did he realised that it was already necessary with a nurse. Code brown. He walked out in the hall and yelled for a nurse. To bad Kerry also had come down and had heard his voice, now she came towards him quickly, looking less happy.  
  
"Dr. Malucci I want to speak with you." She didn't want to yell at him, in case he had a good explanation. They walked into an empty room, where Kerry leaned herself against a bed.  
  
"Do you want to tell me what this is all about?" She asked calmly.  
  
"That guy had explosive diarea, and I needed a nurse." Dave said acting stupid  
  
"Not that, the trauma" She said impatiently  
  
"I just felt nauseous and had to go to the bathroom" He said, it was true; he just didn't say the reason why he was feeling sick.  
  
"Have you let anyone check you out?"  
  
"No"  
  
"Then what are you waiting for, I can't let you work if you might be sick" She said.  
  
"I'm feeling completely fine now. There's no reason to worry"  
  
"No, but I want you checked out"  
  
"Okay, but I'm fine" He walked out of the room, and Kerry followed. Then suddenly,  
  
"David?" before thinking what he did he turned around, and saw his mother into her eyes for the first time in ten years.  
  
"David?" Kerry asked confused.  
  
"Yeah that's my name" He said shortly. His mother came over to him, she smiled a little. Kerry looked confused from Dave to the woman, there where no signs of happiness in Dave's face.  
  
"Mum" Dave said shortly, Carter had now also noticed the little drama, and looked at them.  
  
"Where have you been?" The woman asked.  
  
"Around"  
  
"Can I talk to you somewhere in private?"  
  
"I have nothing to say"  
  
"Well, I do" Dave looked at Kerry who only nodded.  
  
"Okay, we can talk in the lounge" He showed her fast into the lounge and walked over to the coffee machine.  
  
"Coffee?" Dave asked shortly  
  
"No thanks" His mother answered politely. "I should have guess that you would use my maiden name, instead of your real name when you ran away"  
  
"If I had used David Hobson you would have found me at once"  
  
"Your dad had a heart attack" His mother said, being truly sad  
  
"Oh, that's bad" Dave said without much feeling in his voice. He did know how he should react when he heard news like this about one of them who had made his life a living hell.  
  
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa  
  
**FLASHBACK**  
  
"Mum, I got a B+ on the math test"  
  
"That is nothing to be proud of, you should have got an A!" Rosa said, not looking at the little boy in front of her  
  
"My teacher said that it was the best one in the class, and that I could be proud of it." Little Dave said, getting a little confused of the two grown ups different sayings.  
  
"Well, that only shows that this school isn't good isn't good enough for a Hobson, I'll talk to your father about getting you into a Private school"  
  
"No, what about my friends, what about Danny, Peter and Maya?"  
  
"They are so simple, not good enough for my son"  
  
"But.."  
  
"Don't argue with me son!" His mother yelled angrily. Dave shut up instantly, knowing that if he continued he would have a rather unpleasant evening, with his father's fist.  
  
**FLASHBACK END**  
  
"Why are you dressing like that?" His mother asked sharply  
  
"What?"  
  
"Those scrubs it looks so sloppy. You were always a rebel weren't you?"  
  
**FLASHBACK**  
  
"David turn of that terrible music at once!" Dave's dad yelled  
  
"Sorry, sir." Dave answered politely.  
  
"Not as sorry as you will be" His father replied  
  
"Dad, please! I turned it off!" Panic grabbed Dave, he knew that he would probably be spending the night in the hospital, because he had *fell* down the stairs.  
  
**FLASHBACK END**  
  
"I want you to come to dinner with us tomorrow"  
  
"I'm working"  
  
"You have to come, we just want to talk"  
  
"I don't know"  
  
"Come!" the mother ordered. And as he used to he obeyed, like he always had done with his parents.  
  
When he walked out of the lounge he felt everyone staring at him. He tried to just work as normal, but it was hard.  
  
When he sat in the lounge before leaving home a song started playing:  
  
My name is Luka  
  
I live on the second floor  
  
I live upstairs from you  
  
Yes I think you've seen me before  
  
if you hear something late at night  
  
some kind of trouble. Some kind of fight  
  
Just don't ask me what it was  
  
Just don't ask me what it was  
  
Just don't ask me what it was  
  
I think it's because I'm clumsy  
  
I try not to talk too loud  
  
Maybe it's because I'm crazy  
  
I try not to act too proud  
  
They only hit until you cry  
  
And after that you don't ask why  
  
You just don't argue anymore  
  
You just don't argue anymore  
  
You just don't argue anymore  
  
Yes I think I'm okay  
  
I walked into the door again  
  
Well, if you ask that's what I'll say  
  
And it's not your business anyway  
  
I guess I'd like to be alone  
  
With nothing broken, nothing thrown  
  
Just don't ask me how I am  
  
Just don't ask me how I am  
  
Just don't ask me how I am  
  
That song had made him completely.completely weird inside, it could have been called Dave, instead of Luka, it was his childhood in a nutshell. Kerry opened the door slowly and saw Dave sitting there, as in his own world.  
  
"Hey Dave" She said he looked up at her for a second before looking down in the table again.  
  
"Long time since you have seen your mother?"  
  
"Around 11 years"  
  
"wow that's long"  
  
"The best years of my life" He said darkly.  
  
"Why did you run away from them?" She asked softly.  
  
"None of your business" Dave snapped  
  
"I only know that many kids, go through their lives wishing that they had parents" She said a little irritated.  
  
"Yeah, but many kids go through their lives wishing they didn't have" He said angrily and walked out of the lounge.  
  
The next day, he had off, so he spent all the day thinking about the evening, why could he never say no to his parents? Why did he always as they told him to? The evening came far to quickly, and Dave stared walking towards the Hobson mansion.  
  
After walking for around an hour he was there, he pressed the doorbell and waited. A maid opened the door.  
  
"David!" She said smiling.  
  
"Maja, I have missed you" He said and hugged her, even though he hated this place it was something's he missed. Maja was one of them, but he had to keep completely away from the place so they wouldn't find him.  
  
He stepped inside and looked around, nothing had changed much. Suddenly a man stood in the doorway to the living room.  
  
"David, you came" He said coldly  
  
"Yeah, I did"  
  
"It is yes, I did. Not yeah!" The man snapped.  
  
"Sorry sir" Dave said even before he though, he hated that he always apologised.  
  
"Come, your mother and sister is waiting in the dinner room" Dave followed silently. How would it be to see Michelle again? He hadn't seen her since he left eleven years ago, then she was seven years old. She had been one of the reasons why he had stayed as long as he did, he wanted to protect her.  
  
But his father never had hit her, only him. The only boy. His father walked in front of him, and Dave felt like he was ten years old again.  
  
**FLASHBACK**  
  
Dave walked behind his father into his room, where he quietly stood and waited for the first hit.  
  
"Do you anything to say?" His father said.  
  
"I'm sorry, sir. I'm sorry I was talking so loud"  
  
"Good, but not good enough. Maybe this would learn you to be silent"  
  
**FLASHBACK END**  
  
They finally came into the dining room, and his father sat down on a chair. Dave stopped and saw his mother and sister sitting there. Michelle was eighteen years old now, and he wondered if she even remembered her brother.  
  
"Sit down David" His mother said. He instantly did as she told him to. He looked over to Michelle, she was a beautiful girl now. She smiled a little smile to him, before the dinner came inside.  
  
Dave ate silently, knowing that soon it would start again. And then his father said  
  
"Why did you run away son?" Dave hated the way he father acted, like he hadn't done anything wrong. He swallowed he knew he couldn't answer. The beatings he had got as child sat in him still.  
  
"I wanted to be on my own" He finally said.  
  
"I wanted to be on my own, what?"  
  
"I wanted to be on my own, sir" Dave said, he hated himself, why couldn't he stand  
  
up to his father?  
  
The rest of the dinner was just as catastrophic, afterwards they sat down in the living room to get coffee.  
  
"Couldn't you stay in your old room for once nights sake?" His mother asked  
  
"I have to work tomorrow"  
  
"Charles can drive you" His mother said. Dave looked at Michelle and he really wanted to know his sister again.  
  
"Sure"  
  
"Good!" his mother smiled.  
  
After wards Dave walked up the stairs when Michelle came running up to him.  
  
"Hello David!" She said.  
  
"Hey, Michelle. please call me Dave"  
  
"Dave? Why?"  
  
"I like that better"  
  
"Yes okay. I wondered if I could come over to your room afterwards, so we can catch up, I don't know my own brother anymore"  
  
"Yeah okay" He smiled and continued walking up the stairs. He found his room quickly, and he walked inside. Everything was as he remembered, nothing had changed. Dave walked around and finally ended by the window, a small stain of dried blood was under the curtain. He stroked his finger over the spot  
  
**FLASHBACK**  
  
"Why do you always have to break things? You little stupid boy!"  
  
"I'm so sorry sir, I'm really am" His father showed him hard into the wall, right beside the window, and walked out. Dave fell down on the floor, with blood dripping from his head.  
  
**FLASHBACK END**  
  
Someone knocked on the door.  
  
"Come in" He said, carefully not to yell. The door opened and Michelle stepped inside.  
  
"Hello"  
  
"Hey sis"  
  
"Why are you speaking like that?"  
  
"How?"  
  
"That slang?"  
  
"It's the way I speak." He said shortly, "Sit down wherever you want to"  
  
"Thanks" She said politely and sat down in a chair.  
  
"So what have happened to you the last years?" He finally asked  
  
"I have been rather busy with school, and I'm still dancing ballet. What about you?"  
  
"I'm a doctor, I work at Chicago County"  
  
"You always said you wanted to be one. Where did you study? Harvard?"  
  
"Grenada"  
  
"Grenada? As in Spain?"  
  
"Yeah"  
  
"Oh"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I thought you were better than that"  
  
"I studied there to get away from here"  
  
"Do you have a boyfriend?" He teased  
  
"No, of course not, I want to be finished with my studies first" She said, without Michelle could see he rolled his eyes.  
  
"So what are you going to study?"  
  
"Economics"  
  
"Sounds fun" He said ironically  
  
"Oh, I better get back to my room, I have some homework to do"  
  
"Yeah, sees you tomorrow. Night"  
  
"God Night" She walked out and Dave was alone in his room again.  
  
He finally sat down on the bed, and put his head into his hands, everyone though it was easy to stand up against people, but it wasn't especially your own father. He suddenly felt how tired he was and decided to go to bed, he pulled of his T-shirt and folded it neatly and put it down on the floor. He looked at his body in the mirror, he looked at his own back, he had small scars around on it, scars from glass, cigar burns and much more.  
  
Suddenly his father came inside the room,  
  
"Aren't you going to bed soon?" Ronald said, blowing cigar smoke out in the room.  
  
"Yes, sir" Dave replied politely. Ronald Hobson started to walk away, but suddenly he saw the tattoo on Dave's shoulder. He turned around and looked furiously at Dave.  
  
"When did you get that tattoo?"  
  
"Ten years ago" Dave said.  
  
"Didn't I forbid you to take a tattoo?"  
  
"Yepp" Dave said, didn't want to bend for his father anymore. SMACK! The hit came so suddenly that Dave didn't have time to react. He fell backwards on the floor, he suddenly felt a cigar against his left shoulder. It burned, but he knew better than to scream, and he gave up fighting, and just lay on the floor waiting for it to go away.  
  
"I though I had learned you politeness when you was young, but apparently not. I have to teach you again" Ronald stood up and walked out of the room. Dave was left alone on the floor, feeling his shoulder hurt.  
  
He stood up and walked into the bathroom, he found a bandage and something to clean the burn with.  
  
Early next morning he stood up, earlier than necessary, but he wanted to walk to the hospital and not meet anyone from his family.  
  
Dave walked out of the house without eating, he could buy something at doc Magoos.  
  
He was outside the hospital a half hour early, so he walked over to the restaurant and bought a coffee and a toast. He walked over to the hospital, the burning feeling in his shoulder constantly reminded him about his life.  
  
When he had woken up he also saw that he had got a big bruise on the stomach. Kerry stood by the admin. Desk and saw Dave coming inside earlier than he had ver been. She remembered the conversation they had two days ago clearly.  
  
Dave didn't smile as he used to when he walked past the admin.  
  
"Morning Sunshine!" Randi yelled after him, laughing.  
  
Kerry walked after him, into the lounge.  
  
"Dave is you okay?"  
  
"Yeah, just fine"  
  
"Nice seeing that you are early" She said. He just nodded to her and walked out of the lounge and grabbed a chart.  
  
He pretended that everything was okay, and worked as he used to. He could have achieved an Emmy for his performance. When he stood by the admin. Desk doing charts, Carter came walking over to him, he almost tripped in a sponge lying there. John tried to keep his balance, but too bad for Dave, Carter grabbed his left shoulder.  
  
"Auch!" It hurt like a son of a bitch when he came near the burn. Carter managed to gain balance again.  
  
"Sorry Dave. Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah, you just grabbed it a little hard. Carter smiled to him and nodded, he knew he hadn't grabbed hard, and he thought he felt a bandage under the thin scrub top. He shook of the though, Dave was perfectly normal, and hadn't said anything about a hurt shoulder.  
  
"Excuse me, do you know where David Malucci is?"  
  
"You mean Dave?" Randi asked a little unsure  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Just wait a second. Dr. Malucci! A girl is here to see you!" She yelled since he wasn't far away.  
  
"Michelle" The girl said  
  
"Ok, Michelle is you his girlfriend?"  
  
"No, I'm his sister" Michelle answered. Randi nodded in the last days this place had been overflowed with Malucci's.  
  
Dave came walking towards the admin. Desk, his smile got a little faker when he saw who was waiting for him.  
  
"Hey Michelle, what are you doing here?"  
  
"I came to talk to you" Michelle said.  
  
"Let's find a place where we can be alone" Malucci said "Randi, is there any empty rooms here?"  
  
"Yeah, exam 2"  
  
"Thanks"  
  
He walked towards the empty room and Michelle followed.  
  
"What do you want to talk about? Is something wrong?"  
  
"No, I just wanted to tell you that dad picks you up after work"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"He said he wanted you to spend some more time with the family, oh, David! I have waited for this since you ran away."  
  
"Waited for what?"  
  
"For us to be together as brother and sister again" She smiled. Dave faked a smile back. He like to be with his sister, but when he was that meant that would have to spend time with his father and mother also.  
  
"Well, I have to go" Michelle said and walked away. "See you later brother"  
  
"Yeah, she you later sis!" He smiled after her. When she had walked away, he dragged his tired feet out towards the admin. Desk the last hour of his shift he just sat there pretending to do charts. Kerry looked at him from the hall, he looked a little down.  
  
"Dave can I speak with you for a moment?"  
  
"Sure" Dave said and followed after her into the empty lounge.  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"I just wondered if you were okay?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm just fine. Why do you ask?"  
  
"You have seemed to be a little off today?"  
  
"I'm just tired I guess."  
  
"Malucci, I understand if you need some time off to sort things out, I mean with your parents and everything"  
  
"No, that's not necessary." The last thing he needed was to spend more time with his parents.  
  
"Just let me know if I can do anything"  
  
"Sure" He smiled, and looked at his clock, "My shift is over" He said and grabbed his coat and walked outside.  
  
He saw the limousine standing there, and he knew that there was no way to escape, so he just walked over and sat inside.  
  
"Hello David" Roland said. Dave's mother and sister also sat inside, under the entire ride Michelle sat and talked about her horse. Malucci only half followed, because his father was sending him a piercing cold look.  
  
After some time the car was outside the mansion, and his father was still sending him those cold looks.  
  
Dave walked outside, and wondered what he had done wrong now.  
  
Maja opened the door and she welcomed them inside, Rosa and Michelle quickly walked up the stairs to see Days of our lives.  
  
Dave started walking up the stairs too.  
  
"Hold on David" His father's cold voice said. Dave did as he was told to. "Your sister said that you studied med. In Grenada?"  
  
"Yes"  
  
"Why are you always trying to make a shame out of this family?! People will think we can't afford giving you proper school!"  
  
"I just wanted to be alone!" Dave said, almost yelled.  
  
"Don't you ever talk back to me like that!" Roland sneered.  
  
Fear suddenly caught Malucci, he felt like he was ten years all over again.  
  
"Sorry sir"  
  
"Sorry sir? Can't you speak properly?!" His father yelled  
  
"I'm sorry sir" Dave said knowing what would come now.  
  
"Not as sorry as you will be!" Dave just stood there, knowing he couldn't prevent it from happening.  
  
Dave felt his dad punch him into the wall, Roland was an incredibly strong man, and he worked out every day when he had the time. Dave worked out often to, but he was often too busy at the hospital.  
  
For the first time, Roland didn't hit his son, he kicked. First one time in the stomach, and then one time at the knee. He dropped his son and walked away. Dave sank down on the floor and just sat there, as he used to when he was little. His knee hurt like hell, after a while Roland came inside again.  
  
"Dinner" He said shortly and walked away. Dave stood up, and his knee hurt even worse. He walked towards the dining room, and he noticed that he was limping a little. It hurt every step he walked, but he pretended like nothing had happened. Michelle didn't know that he was being hit, and he wanted to keep it that way.  
  
"Why are you limping David?" She asked.  
  
"I fell down the stairs, and landed on my knee" He lied.  
  
"You are always so clumsy!" Michelle laughed. Dave smiled and looked down in the table, he could feel his father looking at him.  
  
"I have to go, I have the graveyard shift" Dave said after looking at his clock.  
  
"Can't you call in sick?" His mother said.  
  
"No, I can't. Bye" He said and walked before they got chance to say more. Dave knew that he would have to pay for that later, but that time, that sorrow. He decided to take the El, to work, since his leg hurt like hell. When he sat down he finally got the chance to stretch out his leg. When he had to stand up again, his knee protested, but he didn't care, couldn't let anyone think something was wrong.  
  
He knew it was wrong, but it was some of the things that were from his childhood, he never dared say anything. Whenever his father was a little too violent, and he was brought to the hospital, all the doctors believed his father. He was rich and wouldn't hit his kids.  
  
He was finally at the hospital, his left leg still dragged a little after him, he managed to hide it a little, but he was still limping. Mark stood outside the hospital when he saw Malucci coming walking, he took a better look, and Malucci was limping. He walked over to him,  
  
"Hey Dave, what's wrong with your knee?"  
  
"I fell down some stairs and landed on it"  
  
"You should check it out" Mark said  
  
"Yeah, you are probably right. Do you have some time to do it?"  
  
"Yeah sure" He didn't believe completely that Dave had fell. Just go into exam 2"  
  
"Thanks Dr. Greene" Dave said.  
  
Mark walked over to Carter, who was standing near the admin. Desk.  
  
"Carter can you take the trauma that comes in soon?"  
  
"Sure, Is anything wrong?"  
  
"No, I'm just going to check Malucci's knee"  
  
"Malucci's knee?" Carter asked  
  
"Yeah, he was limping when he came inside, he fell down the stairs and landed on his knee."  
  
Mark wrote Malucci up on the board and walked back into him. He sat down in front of him, and lifted his leg a little.  
  
"That was a big bruise" Mark said, he noticed that it wasn't round as it would be if he fell, it was shaped more like someone had kicked. "Tell me when it hurts" He lifted some more  
  
"Auch!" Dave yelled.  
  
"I think we better take a X-ray" Mark said. "When did this happen?"  
  
"Yesterday, I though I only had bruised it a little"  
  
"Wait here for a second" Mark said, he returned not long after with a wheelchair.  
  
"Dr. Greene, I'm fine, I can walk"  
  
"You know its hospital policy" Mark said. Dave reluctantly did as he was told to, but he didn't let Greene push him. Mark opened the door for him, and Dave rolled out. Kerry who just had arrived, surprised saw Malucci in the wheelchair.  
  
"Malucci, is something wrong?" She said sharply, believing that he just was playing around.  
  
"I hit my knee pretty bad, and Dr. Greene wont let me walk up to X-ray"  
  
"Hope it's nothing to bad" Kerry said while walking into the lounge. Mark followed him up and waited for them to finish. He looked through the glass, something was wrong with Dave. And Mark had a feeling that it had something to do with his parents, Kerry had told him about their little fight.  
  
'And some kids wish they hadn't had parents'  
  
'You're right, I don't know your father, but I know the type. Trust me' and now this mysterious bruise. Mark just shook his head, Malucci wouldn't let anyone step on him.  
  
Dave came rolling out of the x-ray room, and gave Greene the pictures. They walked over to an X-ray screen and looked at them. Dave saw that a little piece of bone from the kneecap had broken off.  
  
"Seems like you need surgery" Mark said  
  
"Guess so" Dave replied.  
  
"We go down to the OR now, Elizabeth can fix it quickly"  
  
Four hours later Dave walked down to the ER again, it had been a simple procedure. And now he had just a bandage around his knee and crutches. He was a little nauseous from the morphine, as he walked over to the admin. He felt like throwing up a few times.  
  
"Hey Dave, how are you feeling?" Kerry asked.  
  
"Little nauseous"  
  
"Take a few days of" She said smiling  
  
"No, please. I would rather work. I only need this day off" Dave said, no way he would have more time to spend with his family.  
  
Kerry and Mark who stood there speechless after Dave walked away.  
  
He took a cab to his apartment, hadn't been there in three days and it felt wonderful. After opening two windows, he threw himself up on the couch and turned on the Television.  
  
Just as he had started relax, someone rang the doorbell. After some trouble he managed to get up and over to the door, and opened.  
  
"Dad.what are you doing here?"  
  
"I came to see my only son, I stopped by the hospital and they said you was home. They gave me the address. Are you going to let me inside?"  
  
"Yeah sure" He moved away a little.  
  
"Why are you using crutches?" His father asked, looking around  
  
"My knee, I had to remove a small splint"  
  
"It's your fault, if you had managed to do things right sometimes, I wouldn't have to use these methods"  
  
Dave just stood there, listening to his father's speech. He felt more and more like he was ten years all over again.  
  
"It's your sister's birthday tomorrow, she is looking forward to meet you again. Come around five" Dave just nodded.  
  
"What?" His father asked  
  
"Yes, sir. I'll be there  
  
"Good" Roland said and walked out. Shutting the door behind him. Dave sunk down on the couch, and pulled his hands through his hair. Just when he had thought his life was going better, this all came back  
  
The next day Malucci walked into the hospital, Carter stood outside and smoked.  
  
"Hey Dave. Didn't thought you would be back in a few days?"  
  
"Well I am" Dave said shortly and walked inside. The day went on and when it was his brake, he was exhausted. But it was something he wanted to do. He walked down to the file archive  
  
"Could I get the file on David Hobson?"  
  
"Sure Dr. Malucci" The guy said and walked away. Not long after he returned with the file. ¨  
  
"Sign here" Malucci signed and walked to an empty chair and sat down. First he saw the birthcate; born 1972 mother: Rosa Malucci Hobson Father: Ronald Reginald Hobson. Malucci turned to the next page; admitted. The list was long, very long. It started in 1978 until 1990. He read all the injuries, the first one was a broken arm and the last one was a concussion and a broken jaw. The last five years it also stood that he was picked up of the police when wandering around drunk. Not only one time, fifteen.  
  
Suddenly someone paged him he looked down, it was the admin. desk. He delivered the chart back and walked fast up.  
  
"Randi was is it?"  
  
"The usual, your family" He looked over to the chairs, Michelle sat there. He walked over to her.  
  
"Hey Michelle is something wrong?"  
  
"Why are you using crutches?"  
  
"I fell in the stairs"  
  
"Oh, are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah, what is it?"  
  
"I just wanted to tell you that mum and dad picks you up after work, I'll be shopping for a dress for my birthday tonight"  
  
"Michelle, it's nice that you tell me, but you can't come by so often. I'm really busy."  
  
"Oh, Ok I won't disturb you any more" Michelle said walking away, sounding disappointed.  
  
"Michelle!" He called after her but she just walked away. Dave started wondering if he would survive this evening. His father would be really pissed, first about him just leaving during dinner and then about this. He turned and walked slowly back to the admin. desk. Suddenly he remembered that he didn't have a birthday present for her, neither a tux. Who would have both money and a tux  
  
"Carter could you do me a favour, two actually?"  
  
"Sure, what?"  
  
"I was wondering if you could borrow me 50 bucks and a tux?"  
  
"Date?"  
  
"Nope, birthday party for my sister"  
  
"Okay"  
  
Since Dave was hurt Carter drove to his apartment and picked up his tux after his shift.  
  
"Here" Carter handed him the suit. Dave thanked him, and walked into the bathroom to change. He changed quickly, didn't want anyone to see the scars. Dave looked at himself in the mirror, tux was one of the things he hated most, but he didn't want his father to get angrier with him than he probably was already.  
  
When he walked outside the ER went dead silent, and all his co-workers stared at him. After a few seconds it started to get back to normal again. He walked over to the admin. desk to sign out, Jing-Mei walked over to him.  
  
"You look nice"  
  
"Thanks"  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"My sister's birthday party"  
  
"If someone had told me two weeks ago that you were so rich."  
  
"You would have dated me?" Dave joked  
  
"Yeah right, have fun"  
  
"Thanks" One thing he probably wouldn't have was fun.  
  
"Hey Dave! These flowers was delivered by a flower guy when you were changing."  
  
"Thanks" He hadn't found anything better so fast so he had settled on flowers.  
  
"You look really good Malucci" Chuny said.  
  
"Thanks, but I feel like the Godfather or something" He smiled. Suddenly he saw his mother and father coming inside, and his smile faded. His father was dressed in a black tux and his mother in a long dark-bluish dress. Dave picked up the flowers and walked towards them. Mark looked at the three people, it was easy to see that they were related.  
  
Carter stood outside and took a little smoke, while he was waiting for Abby. He saw Dave and his parents sitting into the white limousine and drive away.  
  
Dave sat across his parents and looked out of the window knowing that hell would break loose soon.  
  
"Why did you just leave the dinner two days ago?" Rosa asked  
  
"I had to work, I told you"  
  
"Don't speak like that to your mother!" Roland said angrily.  
  
"You did really hurt your sister today"  
  
"I just told her that she couldn't visit me that often at work"  
  
"I want to talk to you later!" Roland yelled, *you don't want to talk, you want to hit me* Dave thought. He knew his father wouldn't do anything to him, before the dinner didn't want any relatives to know 'their dark family secret' that he used his own son as a punching bag.  
  
The driver opened the door for them and they walked outside, it was still an hour till the guests would come, but he could see a car that he hadn't seen before parked there already. Could it be Bella? His oldest sister, she would be around 34 by now.  
  
"Is Bella coming?"  
  
"Yes, she came three hours ago" Rosa replied. Maja opened the door for them, she smiled to Dave, but she looked a little worried when she saw the crutches.  
  
"David Are you alright?"  
  
"Yes, I'm fine Maja" Dave smiled, he knew Maja knew about his fathers punishing habits, it would have been impossible to hide from her since she often had comforted him when he was little. She just looked at him for a second and nodded. Dave walked inside. Michelle was in the living room talking with Bella. Dave gave her the flowers.  
  
"Happy birthday, Michelle"  
  
"Thank you David, they are beautiful. You look good"  
  
"Thanks" He said and leant better over the crutches, first now he looked at Bella.  
  
"Hello Bella" He said smiling.  
  
"Dave! I have missed you!" Bella said standing up and hugged him. Dave winced a little when she touched the burn on his shoulder.  
  
"You okay?"  
  
"Yeah, just fine" Dave said. He sat down in a chair. Bella looked at him for a second, as if she was trying to read his mind. Finally she said.  
  
"Dave can you help me with something in my room?"  
  
"Yeah sure" Dave stood up and followed after her. He had a little trouble getting up the stairs, but Bella helped him. Finally they where in Bella's room.  
  
"So what did you need help with?" he asked  
  
"Is he still violent to you?" Bella asked, looking straight at him.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Dave asked, trying to act confused.  
  
"Cut the crap Dave, I have known for ages that dad hit you"  
  
"Oh" Dave said looking down in the floor  
  
"I thought you had got away?"  
  
"I did, but dad was brought in with a MI at the hospital where I work" Dave continued staring down.  
  
"How did you hurt your leg?"  
  
"Fell down a stair"  
  
"Yeah right, how did it really happen?"  
  
"I deserved it, I made shame on the family"  
  
"So dad did this?"  
  
"Yes" Dave almost whispered. He looked down in the carpet, not looking her in the eyes.  
  
"You can't let him do this you Dave!" Bella said  
  
"There's not much I can do"  
  
"You have to stand up to him!"  
  
"Yeah, that helps" Dave said ironic pointing at his crutches.  
  
"You.." Bella started but was interrupted by someone knocking softly on the door.  
  
"Come in!" Bella said, and a man Dave hadn't seen before stepped inside. He had blond hair and was medium tall. The man smiled lovingly over to Bella  
  
"Hey sweetie" He said walking over and kissed her.  
  
"How was your flight?" Bella asked  
  
"Good"  
  
"Dave, this is my fiancé Henry, Henry this is my brother Dave"  
  
"Hello" Henry said smiling "Nice to meet you"  
  
"Nice meeting you to" Dave said, he was a little shocked, he didn't know that she was engaged.  
  
"I let you two be alone" Dave said smiling to them, struggling a little to get up. Henry handed him the crutches.  
  
"Dave, we have to talk..." Bella said  
  
"We can talk at dinner" He smiled. He hated talking about being hit. It was like he couldn't protect himself. The dinner went by without anything particular happening, except for Dave who was counting down every second until he could go to the hospital again.  
  
Bella tried all the time to catch his attention, but he pretended not to notice. She looked over at her younger brother, his eyes were almost drowned in blue bags, and his eyes were not focusing much, very much like an animal, scared of everything. Dave sat silent through the whole dinner, listening to Bella talking to their parents. He wasn't very hungry, but ate some anyway.  
  
Suddenly he felt nauseous, and he excused himself from the table.  
  
"I just have to go for a second" He ran as quickly up to the bathroom, and it was just in time.  
  
After a while he stood up again and looked at himself in the mirror. He looked like Carter had done, not many days before they had sent him to rehab. At least he wasn't addicted to anything, but. in the last week he had started thinking dark thoughts, thoughts about death, about suicide.  
  
He shook his head and walked down again, trying to pretend that everything was normal. After hours of talking Bella and Henry left, and Dave felt his father staring at him, with angry eyes.  
  
As soon as he found the opportunity he walked up to his room and slid under the covers, not taking of his clothes. He wanted to be prepared. Prepared.  
  
He tasted the word prepared, prepared for what, to be killed? To run away?  
  
And just as he knew it would happen, his father stood there in the door.  
  
Ron looked dangerous, Dave looked at him with scared eyes, but he tried to hide it. Before he had the possibility to escape, his father lifted a bat and hit, over and over again, and there was no way he could escape,  
  
**so this is how I'll die** he thought while feeling the bat hitting, harder and harder each time until the pain went away. He couldn't fell a thing just stared at his father for a second before he slowly closed his eyelids and fell unconscious.  
  
Ron continued hitting, and didn't stop before he was too tired to lift the bat again. When he stopped the usual regret came over him,  
  
"Son, I'm so sorry.." He started, but received no response.  
  
"Son?" He dropped the bat and it rolled away, he shock the shoulder of his son carefully.  
  
What had he done?!? He quickly pulled out his cellar and called for an ambulance, then he picked up the bat and ran downstairs. There he threw it in the fireplace, and just when he could see the last pieces disappear he heard the ambulance coming closer.  
  
"Ronald? What is this?" Dave's mother asked when she heard the sound.  
  
"It's David"  
  
"It's always David"  
  
The ambulance personnel did their usual job, and not long after they arrived at County.  
  
Carter and Mark stood out in the cold jumping around to keep the warmth.  
  
"This is my last trauma, then I'll go home to a warm bed" Mark said  
  
"And a screaming baby" Carter smiled  
  
Their smiles stopped quickly when they saw the person on the gurney.  
  
"What happened" Mark asked to Olbe.  
  
"His father told us that he heard lots of noise, and when he came up Dave was lying like this"  
  
They rolled him quickly into a trauma room,  
  
"Pupils is slowly reacting" Carter said  
  
"I think he have been incredibly lucky, just a few broken ribs, maybe some more and a strong concussion"  
  
"I wouldn't call that lucky"  
  
"Who can do such a thing to someone?" Mark asked not waiting an answer, but he got one.  
  
"His dad" A female voice said, and they both turned.  
  
"And you are?"  
  
"His sister, Bella Malucci Hobson" She said "How is he?"  
  
"He have a strong concussion" Mark said, "Who were you saying had done this?"  
  
"His dad" She said, with a voice full of anger and lust for revenge. Both Mark and Carter were silent a second, before they continued working on Dave.  
  
"Hey Mark, he's waking up" He said before continue talking to Dave. "Dave? Can you hear me? Do you know where you are?"  
  
"Baseball court?" Dave said looking around trying to figure out what had just happened. The last thing he could remember was a bat or something.  
  
"Hey Dave. You're at the hospital."  
  
"I thought I left?"  
  
"He have a short amnesia" Carter said to Mark.  
  
"Hey! I'm here, and I'll think I'm going to throw up!" Dave said. They rolled him onto his side and he emptied his stomach contents into the basin Mark held. After a while Mark asked:  
  
"Who did this to you?"  
  
Dave who was really dizzy and nauseous couldn't figure out what to say so he said the truth.  
  
"It was.dad"  
  
Bella smiled and sat down, she took her brothers hand in hers.  
  
"You said it Dave, he can't do that to you anymore"  
  
"Thank you Bella"  
  
"No, I'm just so glad that you finally could say it, after twelve years."  
  
"Me too"  
  
*BARF*  
  
Slutt (Hey! I should be allowed to do that when all you other writes in Spanish!) (By the way that's Norwegian!) 


End file.
